Currently, there are numerous Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards for Ethernet. Some examples are 10BaseT, 100BaseT, and 1000BaseT, which are enumerated and described for several different types of transmission media (i.e., twisted-pair). Specifically, though, 100BaseT for twisted-pairs (which is described by IEEE 802.3u and that is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes) has largely fallen into disuse in favor of higher speed standards (i.e., 1000BaseT) with exception to many industrial applications. In other words, 100BaseT is still widely used for industrial Ethernet.
Because of the limited and relatively small market for 100BaseT, there has been very little development, even though there are problems that exist. For example, Ethernet cables to subject to substantial abuse in an industrial environment, meaning that there is a high likelihood of damage to the cables. Moreover, disruptions in Ethernet function and replacement of these cables can each be very costly. Thus, there is a need for a system that operates over 100BaseT connections that is tolerant of cable damage.
Some examples of conventional systems are: U.S. Pat. No. 7,587,181; U.S. Patent Pre-Grant Publ. No. 2004/0213170; and U.S. Patent Pre-Grant Publ. No. 2008/0253356.